


Modeling and Other Hobbies

by fredericky



Category: Devilman (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Intersex Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 05:51:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,159
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14129469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fredericky/pseuds/fredericky
Summary: Ryo works as a model, and the cute barista at his local sturbucks makes his head spin. Luckily Akira is not just cute but fun too and the two of them hit it off righy away.Model & Coffee shop AU





	Modeling and Other Hobbies

**Author's Note:**

> I've been reading a lot of Devilman fic and while I don't usually write I felt the need to not just consume but add something of my own too.  
> This is not slow burn! I don't have the patience to write that, sorry!
> 
> It's supposed to be fun and cute, if the motivation strikes me right there might be a bit of ghost & demon hunting later! Who knows. I hope will enjoy!

There were some things Ryo grew accustomed to easily, and some that were as strange now as they had been on their first occurrence. It was normal now to be recognized on the street, even if it was on an irregular basis, it did happen.  
Ryo did not like it very much. It was one thing to go fully prepared into a photo shoot or a networking event, and something completely different to be pulled out of your daily routine into a conversation with a complete stranger. Walking with headphones helped, and all his outdoor looks had a pair incorporated by now.

It was still not normal to flip through a magazine and see his face stare back at him from the glossy pages. He understood the appeal he held, his androgynous appearance and fashion choices scored him a steady amount of jobs and his instagram follower count helped too.  
But actually seeing his pictures printed and not just available online still needed getting used too.  
He would flip the pages with a passive look, while his mind tried to make sense of the fact that this was a magazine you could get in a convenient store.  
It was like entering an alternate universe only this was the real one and Ryo just hadn't caught up with it yet.

His life was fine, he had trouble keeping friends but still worked perfectly without. His manager had enough sense to send him everywhere he needed to be, and Ryo was free to do what he wanted in the time he had left. He felt no need to add extra human interaction if he could also spend his time alone. He loved his job and that was enough.

It had been a busy day and it wasn't even three pm yet. Ryo gave a sigh, he desperately wanted to rub his eyes but he had eyeliner on and the way home was still ahead of him.  
He settled for a yawn and scrunched his nose until the urge left. Pulling his white headphones on Ryo drowned out the noise of the city around him.  
They had finished the commercial shoot much earlier than expected, and Ryo decided to use the extra time on his hands to walk home, instead of using the crowded subway. The sun shined brightly, but it was still a bit chilly when Ryo passed through the shade of a building. He looked at his feet, ignoring the world around him.  
Soon enough he came to the location he found himself spending far to much of his money lately. The starbucks closest to his home. If there was one thing Ryo had learned by traveling, it was that there were three things you could never escape. Bad weather, insects, and american chain stores. While the first two were unpleasant he could tolerate the third, and, in the case of starbucks also appreciated them. Maybe some local shops had a better sortiment but this coffee shop had the better aesthetic for a soon to be very famous instagram model.

The starbucks looked the same it always did, only the “Barista wanted” sign had been taken down. Knowing the establishment Ryo guessed it would be back in at least a month.  
This store ran through employees faster than he did through moisturizer. It wasn't rush hour, only a few others were inside the building and the two baristas were chatting with each other. When they noticed Ryo the girl with the reddish hair stopped talking and pointed with her chin.  
The guy next to her looked over and then smiled, taking position in front of the register. He said something, and Ryo assumed it was the usual welcome to starbucks greeting, but he couldn't hear through the headphones. He studied the menu, and only took of the headphones when he decided. 

“Hello”, he said, finally paying attention to the barista. The guy was taller than him with unruly hair and tanned skin.  
He tapped in Ryo’s order slowly, like he wasn't accustomed to the interface just yet. Presumably he was the new employee. Not a bad catch though, with a face like that he'd have some regulars in no time, Ryo himself wouldn't mind coming more often if it meant looking at him. 

It seemed like something was on the barista’s mind and after Ryo payed he blurted out: “weren't you in that magazine? I think I remember you, I loved that look!”  
Ryo couldn't help, a smile tugging at the corners if his lips. Even when he was recognized the enthusiasm usually wasn't this loud and honest, it felt endearing.  
“I wouldn't have taken you as a reader of the Men’s No-No, Mr. Fudo”, Ryo said, reading the name of the cashiers name tag.  
“The Go Out actually” the other answered sheepishly. “And it was my friends. I just remembered you cause-”, he made a pause in which Ryo patiently looked at him. What was he planning to say? That Ryo didn’t fit the hiking image? He actually had liked these pictures a lot, they contrasted his usual a shots, and showed a bit of his other hobby. 

The barista seemed to grow nervous under his stare. “You just have a striking face you know, it's unusual... but not like...bad unusual...more in a good way”, he laughed nervously, and Ryo decided that someone with a laugh so cute could be forgiven for giving into first impressions. 

“Thank you.”  
“So you, uh, like hiking?”  
“Yes.”

Their conversation came to a halt. For an awkward few seconds they just looked at each other until the girl waved him over.

“Your order”, she said and handed him the cup. Fudo looked at it and shot the girl a worried look, when Ryo turned around he could hear him whisper :“why.”  
The girl replied: “You didn't ask for his name.”

Ryo looked down on the cup which had “blondie” written on it.  
For a brief moment he wondered if she would get fired in case he complained, or if it would just make him look like a dick. Probably both.  
He decided to leave it and sat down. The seat had the perfect angle for him to pretend like he was looking outside, while he was actually sneaking glances at the barista. 

The girl and him were still arguing but she waved him off eventually and that seemed to settle it.  
After that not much else happened, Ryo took a mandatory Instagram selfie with his coffee, mentioning the cute barista in his tags. The name on the cup didn't make it into the picture. 

He watched the barista some more, and Ryo decided the guy looked the cutest when he laughed at one if his coworkers jokes.  
He stayed even after his coffee was finished, pretending to type away at his phone. 

It was really stupid.  
If someone filmed this right now, he could submit it to the next best studio, and be cast for an overacted romance drama. But on the other hand the barista really was that cute. He'd be the bad boy with a motorcycle but a gold heart that could use his strong arms to carry Ry- he shook his head.  
So much for being and staying a loner. He had to do something about this. Clearly there was only one option to deal with a sitation of this caliber. He took a deep breath and wrote down his number in his notebook, ripped out the page and stood up. 

Ryo had to admit he'd never passed on his number on a scrap of paper, but there also had never been a man cute enough to make him stay past his regular time in a starbucks.  
But this was how people did this right? Or did it only happen in silly dramas. Suddenly he felt like there might in fact be better ways to deal with this.  
But his doubts were to late, as his legs were already in motion, and he approached the counter with, what he hoped, was a confident expression on his face. 

“A tip”, he said as he set down the paper, together with the amount his drink had costed.  
“Oh, thanks!”, the barista smiled and Ryo's heart leaped a bit. He returned the smile and then, at a loss of words turned around and fled the coffee shop.  
He attempted to keep a normal pace but as soon as he was outside Ryo started running until he was almost home.  
His heart felt like it was about to leave his body and if that guy didn't call him he could never ever go back into that starbucks. Shit. He fucked up.

Later that evening after arriving home and settling down in his apartment Ryo wondered if the barista even realized there was a number on the paper.  
Maybe he had just taken the money and threw the rest away. It was the first time he had given his number out to a stranger, a complete impulse decision and he already felt regret. 

Sure that guy was cute, had eyes to get lost in and arms Ryo might be dreaming about that night but what if he was a total dick. Or not gay. What if he was straight and decided to call but only because he thought Ryo was a girl and when he found out the truth it was going to be a mess?! 

Ryo groaned, cursing at that impulsive decision, this really wasn't how he had wanted to spend his day.  
He started his computer, fingers drumming nervously on the table, his phone next to him.  
His internet browser opened, the latest tab still showing a blog entry about an urban legend he hadn't managed to finish yesterday. He'd fallen asleep halfway through, but now he wasn't able to focus on the article either.  
His mind returned to the cute guy again and again. It felt like a curse, maybe one of the demons he loved reading about had finally befallen him. Just as he was about to admit that there was no pretending to be productive his phone rang.

[Unknown Number] Hey!  
[Unknown Number] haha, sorry if this is awkward… I’m the starbucks guy from today  
[Ryo Asuka] Mr. Fudo?  
[Unknown Number] akira is fine actually, if you don't mind, mr fudo is my dad…  
[Ryo Asuka] Akira then. I’m sure you know mine, since you recognized me already.

Unknown Number started typing, but by the time Ryo had added Akira's number to his contacts the typing had already broken off. After a minute nothing had happened and Ryo decided to put his phone down. He didn't want to be desperate.  
He turned his attention back to his computer, but ended up glancing at his phone more often than at the damn article.  
“Come on…” he mumbled as he shot the dark screen a dirty look. Finally another 15 minutes later and the thing gave another sound. 

[Akira Fudo] sorry, my roommate came in just now lol she loves to bother me  
[Akira Fudo] ur names ryo right?  
[Ryo Asuka] It is. ^^

Ryo’s fingers had hovered over the emoticon for a good thirty seconds before he finally decided to add it. He knew he could appear far more stoic then he intended but text allowed a different type communication. Also Akira's typing made him assume that an electrical smile wouldn't be taken the wrong way.  
Akira replied with an emoji of his own, and Ryo felt a deep satisfaction if having made the right choice of conversation. 

[Akira Fudo] sooo… how do you usually do this, after giving the coffee shop guy ur number  
[Ryo Asuka] Admittedly I don't give out my personal number much. But I would suggest to meet up. If you're comfortable hanging out with “that guy from your friends magazine.”  
[Akira Fudo] so im special (✽ ﾟдﾟ ✽)

Ryo stared at his phone. Maybe he shouldn't have started with the emojis. 

[Akira Fudo] just kidding ^^ id love to meet up  
[Akira Fudo] actually… you like hiking right?  
[Akira Fudo] how about a hike, just something short! grab some food get the legs moving…  
[Ryo Asuka] That sounds great. 

They chatted a bit more, Akira lived further away than Ryo had expected, but after a quick search he had already figured out the quickest way per subway or car. He lived together with a childhood friend and was in college, the job at starbucks a new addition to his life.  
It was pleasant to talk to him. Ryo was used to conversations dragging on, socializing always felt fake and forced, as he picked generic questions and responses he had heard before. It was different with Akira wich was exiting. When they finally said goodnight to each other his heart felt warmer and he kept smiling absent mindedly as he began his bedtime routine.  
He slipped into bed, mind full of Akira and he soon fell into soft dreams.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!  
> I had a lot of fun writing this! I'm very sorry for any mistakes, I do not have a beta reader and I'm at war with commas. 
> 
> Also Akira did absolutely not, under no circumstances frantically used twenty minutes of his life to google the name of that model whos pic he had impulsively ripped out of ine of mikis magazines just cause his face was SO pretty. definitely not him.


End file.
